Many motorcycle owners enjoy "fixing up" their bikes to change the look of their motorcycle. This is especially popular among Harley-Davidson motorcycle owners, although many other motorcycle owners engage in such fix-up efforts. Owners frequently fix up their motorcycles solely for aesthetic purposes. Although a motorcycle owner may purchase a smooth-running, fully-functional vehicle, many owners prefer to personalize their motorcycle to their own taste or personality by altering the look of the motorcycle. Motorcycle owners will frequently spend considerable time and money on such pursuits even though the motorcycle is new.
Many of the motorcycle owners who fix up their motorcycles enjoy constantly upgrading or modifying their look. New trends in the market and competition between motorcycle owners require the owner to frequently change the look of the motorcycle. Thus, thousands of dollars are often spent by a motorcycle owner in fixing up or accessorizing his or her motorcycle.
A current trend among motorcycle owners is to alter the shape of the stock gas tank. A Harley-Davidson motorcycle comprises a stock gas "tank" with either a 4.2 gallon or 5.0 gallon fuel capacity, depending on which size of tank is installed on the motorcycle. The tank is broken up into two separate containers and mounted on either side of the frame of the motorcycle. The combined fuel capacity of both containers of a tank equals either 4.2 or 5.0 gallons. Although each container of the gas tank has an intake orifice and gas cap for receiving fuel into the tank, the two containers are joined by a transfer tube which maintains an equal level of fuel in each container.
Many motorcycle owners desire to modify the shape of the stock gas tanks on Harley-Davidson motorcycles. There is an approximately three to four inch gap between the rear of the gas tank and the front edge of the seat on a Harley-Davidson motorcycle. For purely aesthetic reasons, owners desire to modify the appearance of the size and shape of the gas tank to cover this gap. Some owners also desire to create the appearance of a larger gas tank, without actually incurring the expense of increasing the tank's fuel capacity.
Currently, many Harley-Davidson motorcycle owners spend hundreds of dollars each to purchase an after-market gas tank designed to eliminate the gap that exists between the stock tank and the seat. This is accomplished currently by welding an extension piece to the rear of each of the Harley-Davidson gas tanks or by welding an extension onto a standard Harley-Davidson after-market gas tank. The modified gas tank thus looks like a larger gas tank, yet the extension piece does not increase or otherwise modify the fuel capacity of the stock tank in any way.
A modified after-market gas tank of this type usually sells for approximately $750. Further, the welding charges for modifying a standard gas tank are very high due to the fact that the gas tank has usually already been filled with gas. To install the after-market gas tank or to modify the stock tank, the stock tank must be removed from the motorcycle. The new tank is then installed in the same location as the stock tank. In the case of the after-market gas tank, upon installation the motorcycle owner has no use for the removed stock gas tank.
Because motorcycle gas tanks on motorcycles are exposed, dents or scratches in the paint are visible. In order to maintain a new appearance or certain look of the motorcycle, each time the gas tank is dented, it must be repaired or in some cases even replaced. To replace a stock Harley-Davidson motorcycle gas tank costs approximately $350-750, not including the paint job. Further repair of a dent or paint chip can involve significant time in the body shop during which time the motorcycle cannot be used by the owner. Hence, when a motorcycle gas tank is damaged, the owner can easily spend hundreds of dollars to replace it, often resulting in some possibly lengthy downtime for the motorcycle. If the tank is damaged frequently, the replacement cost multiplies. Additionally, motorcycle owners in remote areas may find it particularly costly and difficult to find a motorcycle shop which fixes or replaces Harley-Davidson motorcycle gas tanks.